Fiendish Fiends
by Izanagi84
Summary: A lighthearted story detailing the lives of Tidus, Yuna and the gang - post Sin. Some people make a comeback, some don't. Give it a read if you're looking for a mood lifter! Summary subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, locations, names or anything of such sort, type. Anything not mentioned in this disclaimer is also property of the respective owner. I own the plot though. So hah.**

"W-whoa!" Tidus skidded, slipped and fell backwards into the fresh ocean foam; eyes wide and unblinking as he stared at the girl before him.

"Sorry!" Yuna let out a nervous giggle and swayed like a five-year old girl. Only, her hands were clutching a smoking pistol instead of a plush toy. She turned to him, failing to hold back a humoured smile.

"Y'know," he shook the salt and sand from his fingers, "if you want to go fiend hunting together, then tell me that you're going to fire that... _thing_ when I'm not already running at one of them!" His arms flailed, exaggerating his point.

She padded her way through the warm sand, clasping her arms behind her back as she leant over, "but you were moving so slowly." She reached a hand down to him, offering him a little help up. "It's so much safer using a gun.. I don't want you to get hurt."

His features contorted into a look of utter disbelief.

"You fired a gun _right_ past me!" He screeched comically, splashing his hands into a fresh wave of water.

"I'm sorry...," she replied, her voice barely louder than a whisper. Her eyes fell to the ground as a wave of guilt hit her.

He quickly hopped up and placed a finger under her chin, raising her face to his. "Hey, hey." She diverted her gaze, her rosy cheeks giving away her already obvious feelings. He smirked. "It's no big deal. You just did what you felt was right and besides, I'm still alive, yeah?"

She stared down a dark stone in the wet sand.

"Riiight?"

She blinked and smiled back. "Right!" He grinned and stepped back to emphasize, "right!"

A sense of loss filled her as he moved away. Though this wasn't new to her, it still hurt a little whenever he would break away their closeness. Or for that matter, whenever she would have to break away from him.

Ever since he had returned two months ago, she had spent every day together with him. Hell, they'd even miss out on sleep to spend time with each other; naturally, they were desperate to catch up on the precious time they had lost while he was gone. Their major talking point, of course, was how he had come back to Spira. To Tidus, the time had passed in the blink of an eye unlike the two painful years Yuna had desperately fought through. Despite input from scholars and the Guado, no one could come up with a valid or even potentially realistic explanation. Even Maechen the historian had been royally stumped and, of course, keen to document the event. "The _rrr_eturn of our saviour," he had called it. Yuna chuckled as she recalled the senior's words, Maechen was a funny man.

"What's so funny?"

Yuna blinked and smiled. "Oh, nothing!" She stepped up to him and rested her temple against his cheek; letting out a soft sigh as she nestled up against him. "I'm just... glad you're home," she whispered into his neck.

"I like that," he chuckled.

"Like what?" she queried.

" Saying 'I'm home.' It's not Spira anymore, it's my home. Feels good to say."

Yuna's eyebrow perked. "It feels great to say, riiight?" She prodded him in the side.

"Yeowch! R-Right!"

* * *

"It truly is a connundrum of connundrums. For anyone to return to Spira from the farplane is rare indeed. Rarer still, the young man in question is alive and not an unsent!" Maechen pinched his beard, stroking it into a pointed tip.

"So what you're saying is that you got no idea at all?" Wakka crossed his eyes as he scratched his cheek.

"Young man, my mind is full of stories, information and years of knowledge I have painstakingly gathered from every corner of our world. And yet, all I can surmise is that some power, a force, if you will, must have deemed his soul worthy of another chance to live his still young life."

Wakka stared blankly at the historian.

"And that, as they say, is that," Maechen replied. "Well, perhaps not all of it," he tacked on.

"Ah well, thanks anyway, brudda. Not gettin' anywhere thinking it over, probably best thinkin' it's the miracle it is, ya?"

"For now, indeed. However, it is in my nature to study and understand such things. Perhaps, one day, I will decode this strange occurance and be able to provide everyone with a more substantial reply!"

Wakka gave the older man a wave as he left the old Crusader's lodge.

The sun sat low in the sky that evening, bathing the entire island with a warm, golden glow. Wakka sighed as he reached the bottom of the temple steps; it'd been a long week. Tidus' house was still under construction, along with extentions to the rest of the village's houses.

After Sin's defeat, the villagers had taken a long time to agree that it was in the people's best interest to finally start re-building their homeland. With nothing to endanger their lives or hard work, the people of Besaid could begin to live a life of comfort instead of fear.

Several people had argued when Tidus had returned. The argument was over whether or not a small area of woodland behind Wakka and Lulu's place should be levelled to allow for his home to be built. A pointless argument, really, as Wakka was adamant that not only would that have to happen anyway to expand the village, but Tidus, or 'Sir Tidus' as he was now known, should be allowed to live wherever he damn well pleased, all things considered.

Wakka dropped himself onto the bottom step and looked around. Tools and materials were scattered all over the place; the scent of freshly cut pine filling the warm, humid air. He frowned and questioned why the Aurochs had learned to become builders faster than pro Blitzballers.

"Ah well, 'least things are looking up," he groaned, though he was smiling.

"Damn right they are!"

Wakka perked his brows and turned to his left. "'Ey! Didn't even notice you comin'."

"That was the idea." Tidus sat down beside the former Auroch and leant back on his elbows, joining his comrade in surveying the village. "It's strange seeing the island like this. No matter what's going on, it just resists change," he observed, pointing out an old man and lady sitting on the stone floor, despite a number of freshly made benches around the village center.

"Well, Besaid's been the same way for a long time, ya? Things like these take time." The older man responded, smirking as Tidus hung his head. "Ey, ey. People will get used to you, ya know? It's not often some bigshot from the past comes back to life."

"I guess..." Tidus sighed. "Yuna just seems so happy, but everyone else and their dog think I'm some kind of monster." He absentmindedly kicked a pebble.

"Whoa whoa, when did this sort of stuff start bothering _you_? You're forgettin' that you went against everything the people here stood for once. They gotta get used to you being here, ya?" Tidus cracked a half smile as Wakka smacked him on the back.

"I've gotta go watch over Vidina for a while, you're welcome to come help out if ya want!" Wakka smirked at Tidus' look of terror.

"Uh, I'll leave the kid to big daddy, thanks! Think I'll just go do some more painting." He thumbed towards Wakka's hut, "Yuna's in with Lulu anyway."

Tidus waved as he hopped to his feet and swiftly made his exit, snatching up a stray ball to kick around on the way to his half built house.

Since the townsfolk had agreed to the renovation of the town's homes, Tidus' new build had taken on the more futuristic style of Luca's homes. Initially, he had been reluctant to accept the idea, wanting a home more in line with what his home in Zanarkand had been like. However, this was quickly put down by Yuna. She would have been happy to live in a house designed that way. Thrilled, in fact. Zanarkand had always interested her and living with someone from that time would have made it all the more special. Unfortunately, though, she had to explain that the old-style townspeople still considered Zanarkand a holy place. The upset would have only made his transition into daily life that much more difficult.

He sighed as he came to the front of the house. Flicking the ball into the air, he kicked it once, punched it again, then pelted it into the woodlands. _This Luca style ain't all that bad though, _he reasoned with himself. Besides, it had virtually all the necessities that his home had, minus holographic screens. He smirked. "Not like there's any television to watch anyway."

He made his way around to the right side of the house and opened a wooden floor hatch. Rikku had 'acquired' some machina; namely, a generator. He flicked it on and waited for the quiet engine to hum before kicking the hatch shut. Making his way around to the front doors and pulling them open, he took a deep breath. The smell of fresh wood and new paint was a welcome change from the salty sea air.

The interior was nothing fancy. The front doors led into a living room with two doors on each side of the room and an open arch leading into an open kitchen area. The place lacked any real decor, having only a bed and side tables in the bedroom, a couple of benches in the living room and several plain cupboards in the kitchen.

Tidus grabbed a paintbrush and yanked off the plastic wrapping, before grabbing a couple of paint tins. Thankfully, he could make out the Al Bled scribbles on the metal cans. "Brother's got awful handwriting," he mused; popping the lid on a tin of white paint, he went to work on the stone walls.

"I need Rikku to whip me up some paint rollers...," he groaned, slapping paint haphazardly onto the bare, clean surface.

An hour passed as though it were mere minutes. The walls of the living room had soon been given their first coating and Tidus stood in the center, hands on his hips, proudly surveying his work.

"Not bad, not bad at all!" He laughed triumphantly.

"Very nice, but I can't tell if you were trying to paint yourself or the walls."

Yuna laughed at his expression as she pushed herself away from the doorframe, closing the door behind her as she walked up to inspect his work.

"Hey, painting with these awful brushes isn't easy, y'know." He looked down at his chest and arms. "Man... I'm white all over," he groaned.

"Well... luckily, so are the walls." Yuna walked over to survey the damage.

His chest was almost entirely covered in paint. Some wet and some dry patches on his arms, not to mention his favourite shorts. "How on earth did you manage to get yourself into such a state?" Yuna chuckled as Tidus rubbed his temples, covering his forehead in white paint.

He felt his mistake immediately and checked his forearms. "Aw man... gimme a break!" He rubbed the skin dry on his, now white, shorts.

Yuna had doubled over with laughter; he looked like a child who'd discovered his father's toolshed and just gone to town with the paint.

An evil idea came to him. Evil, and genius. "Misery loves company," he growled.

"Hmm?"

Yuna couldn't react before he swiped his hand across her midriff, covering her pale skin with paint. He burst into laughter; the look of shock on her face was fit for a recording.

"Tidus...," Yuna growled, reaching down to the tin of paint and grabbing his paintbrush. He only continued to laugh as she took off chasing him around the room.

"I'm already covered in paint, carry on and you're the one who's gonna be sorry!"

His words didn't deter her in the least. "Come here, you!"

"Never!" Tidus hopped over a bench and bust through the left-hand side door into their spacious bathroom. "Ha! Now you're stuck. Either you put the paintbrush down, or you carry on and ruin our just-finished bathroom!" He grinned at her through the slim opening his boot allowed the door to give.

Yuna whimpered. She wanted to get him back, he started it. Not to mention the infuriating grin he wore that made her all the more determined to win. It was a lose-lose situation. Deciding she could get him back another time, and for the sake of their new bathroom, she put the brush back into the tin of paint. "I'll remember this," she threatened.

"Of course you will, but decide your punishment after I've had a shower.." He pushed the pine door open to allow her entrance. Yuna stepped up to the door and he bowed dramatically. "My lady," he grinned and whispered.

Yuna laughed and nodded as she walked past him, her bare feet padding on the stone floor. "Sir Tidus," she spoke eloquently. A true summoner's voice.

Yuna took another look around the bathroom. She spent a lot of time in here. Either soaking in the bath, or relaxing in the mist from what Brother had eloquently named _"The wonderous, fabulous, absobrilliant cloud machine!"_ In Luca, they had called it a Sauna. Somehow, though, her cousins had adapted it to work in a room the size of the bathroom, even if it was spacious.

The room had been sized perfectly. Upon entering, the bath was directly to the right, with the faucets set halfway down the carved stone tub. On the left hand side were two sinks, carved from the same pale cream stone beneath a large, wide mirror. In the far right hand corner was the toilet and in the left sat the Sauna machina. Lighting was provided by means of numerous filaments within two long glass tubes that stretched the length of the room, along with a wide window at the far end. It featured the same stone used in the walls of the house for the floor. By use of some strange convection machina, it used the ground's ambient heat to keep the floor at a comfortable temperature.

"This room is relaxing to just walk into, don't you think?" She turned her head to Tidus who had already flipped on the bath faucets and was washing his hands in a sink.

He looked at her in the mirror and nodded. "Definitely. It's a good job this is our bathroom and not mine, else I don't think I'd ever see it for the time you spend in here." He laughed as Yuna sat down on the edge of the bath.

"Hmm, it _is_ our bathroom." She crossed a leg over the other and tapped on the stone with her heel. "I couldn't thank Rikku and Brother enough for everything they gave us, you know. They've refused me every time I've tried to offer them something in return. Brother would just say _"your smile makes it worth it!" _and Rikku would say_ "LALALALALA!" _and then ignore me." Yuna grumbled and nodded her head with newfound resolution. "I want to get them something for everything they've done!"

"Yeah, they've definately gone all out with this place." Tidus dried his hands on a towel and grabbed a bar of soap. After throwing it into the bath, he reached over and turned down the faucets, giving the bath time to foam up before over-filling. "But I have no idea what to do. Rikku would freak out and Brother would start crying." He laughed as he pictured the Al Bhed man weeping. "It's not that he doesn't cry often, y'know."

Yuna smiled and stretched backwards, gripping the other side of the bath. "He only cries because he's happy." She tilted her head and looked at him. "He cried when you came back."

Tidus blinked and raised an eyebrow, "No way."

"Yep." She nodded. "Buddy had to console him. It was funny!"

"Wow, I... wouldn't have expected that!" He laughed and turned the bath faucets off. "Well, I'm gonna clean up." He smirked deviously at her. "You're welcome to join me."

Yuna blushed and looked away. "Well... I... It's just...," she fumbled with her words. The room was warming up and it _wasn't_ because of the steam.

"That a yes?" He kicked off his boots and yanked off his shorts; sitting back down in his boxers. He looked back to her, grinning as she diverted her eyes away.

"Well, it's... you're covered in paint and I just have a little bit on me! I... I don't kno-aaah!" She screeched as she was plunged underwater.

Spluttering as she re-emerged, she wiped away the hair stuck to her face. "Tidus!" She shrieked, her voice raising an octave. He doubled over with laughter. Her face was _priceless_!

"I'll take that as a yes!" He dived into the bath beside her, sending torrents more water flying everywhere. "Hey Yuna," he bellowed, laughing from the bottom of his lungs, "don't think you think you're a bit overdressed to be bathing?"

She could only stare at him, her eyes wide and mouth gaping. Her words came out as splutters as she spat water everywhere, attempting to slap his arms and chest through the water, but only succeeding in sending more water flying around the room. "I'm..._*splutter*_ going to kill you!"

They fought in the water for several minutes. His laughter was only fuelled by her attempts to one-up him. When it came to running around, Yuna might beat him, but the water... the water was _his _territory.

After she had calmed down somewhat, her wrists pinned down by his hands, they both panted as they tried to catch their breath. He stared into her eyes which only served to deepen her blush. "You're even sexier when you're mad," he whispered huskily.

"Well you've ruined my clothes; there's not much point in me fighting back now," she sighed with resignation and pouted.

"I'm gonna get rid of them, then," he stated.

Yuna held back a smirk as he popped the buttons on her shirt, laughing as he paused to lean down and tear the last one off with his teeth. "thif firt if eafy to tak off."

She laughed quietly at his muffled words, watching as he lifted her top over the edge of the bath and dropped it to the floor; instantly grabbing at his waist, she pulled him down to her and looked up and down his naked torso. "You're covering me in paint, you know.

"Oh, sorry," he replied; grinning as he pulled her body to his and smeared the now wet paint all over her chest. She said nothing, her breath came in short bursts, simply staring into his eyes and chewing on her bottom lip; fingernails digging into his waist as he ground his chest against her.

"Maybe we should cover me in paint next time...," she whispered.

"I like it," he chuckled.

**A/N:**

Thanks to **Carrietheninja** for reading through this and pointing out my retarded errors. She stalks her neighbours, btw.

First story. Been writing odd bits and pieces for a while and I fancied giving myself something to do since I'm confined to my home for the time being. (Injuries, man!)

So yeah, drop me a review to tell me if you like it or not. I'm not going to hold this hostage, so only leave a review if you want to.

Dave.


	2. Chapter 2

The morning sun beat down on Besaid. Northern winds flushed through the island, countering the scorching heat with cool, wet air. The village was bustling with activity. Children were playing in the grass and trees; their parents either helping with the large scale building work, or supervising groups of children. The older generation chose to simply watch and talk amongst themselves.

"Maaan, this thing is awesome! Didn't realise it could play music too, ya know?"

Wakka was sat in the middle of Tidus' living room, prodding and examining a sphere. Shinra had quickly realised that not only could the sphere allow for conversation, but it would allow music and other media to be played from the Celsius' deck computers.

"Yuna said that Al Bhed kid modified it to let us play music from Luca's broadcast." Tidus continued his painting, allowing himself to enjoy the soft music while his helper prodded the glass ball. "Hey, Wakka! You offered to help!" He grabbed a clean brush and chucked it at his friend's head.

"Ya, ya, ya. Just hold your horses." Wakka placed the glass ball back on its stand and hopped to his feet; stretching his arms and legs, he made his way over to Tidus. "This father stuff is hard work, hardly gettin' any sleep," he grumbled. Cracking his neck as he leant down, he picked up the stray brush and grabbed a paint pot.

"How's it feel to be an old man?" Tidus laughed as Wakka sighed. "I'm just messing with you."

"It's..." Wakka stopped his brush stroke, rubbing his head with his forearm before staring at the wet wall. "Scary."

"You're telling me! That kind of responsibility, I'd be scared too," he replied while slapping his brush against the wall.

"Right?" Wakka continued painting. "I just worry about all sorts of things I didn't before. When we go trainin', I'm worried some fiend might get me when I'm not expecting it. My kid wouldn't have a dad. I grew up without parents, I don't want my son to go through that. I've gotta provide for 'em too, y'know. On top 'o that, I'm tryin' to keep Lulu happy." His painting sped up. "I gotta think about so much, all the time. I try to smile around her, y'know? It's just kinda hard with so much pressure."

Tidus had stopped mid-stroke. Staring at his friend, he perked his eyebrows. "It's really... that hard?" He'd never thought about it in depth before. Wakka always seemed so laid back, if it got to him like this, what would happen to Tidus if he and Yuna ever decided they wanted children?

"It's hard to explain, ya?" Wakka shook his head and continued painting, "it's no biggie, thanks for listening though, bro."

"No probs, just get it off your chest to me whenever you feel like it."

* * *

"Vindinaaaaa!" Yuna spoke in her best baby voice, cradling the giggling boy as she she spoke and shook her head, tickling his little chest.

"How is the decoration coming along, Yuna?" Lulu asked and took a sip of ice water.

"It's going great!" She carefully lowered herself into the sofa. "Tidus had been working hard. Though, I feel bad that Wakka's been helping out so much... don't you want him here to work on your house?"

"It's fine. Those two enjoy each other's company. I think Wakka enjoys the company, he needs that kind of male bond. Ever since Chappu left, he's found it hard to talk to anyone. Even me." Lulu smiled as Vindina reached out to her; she shook his hand with her little finger.

"I never realised... Wakka always seemed to be so relaxed and happy." Yuna sighed. Had she been so oblivious through her disappearance?

"Of course he did, it's in his nature to try his best not to worry anyone. I don't believe he even realises that I've noticed," lulu stated with a slight shrug. She looked over to Yuna, noting her downcast expression.

"It's not your fault, Yuna. If anything, you should be happy. Those two are most likely slacking off right now. Tidus talking about Blitzball, Wakka about Vindina." She let out a quiet laugh and shook her head.

"I know it's not my fault, but still... I wish there were something I could do. Wakka just tries so hard to protect me, but doesn't he realise how much we care about him?"

"On the contrary, Yuna, he doesn't tell us because we care about him. I believe it's a male thing," Lulu stated plainly. She slid her hands around Vindina's waist and lifted the little one onto her lap. "Why don't you go and see how they are getting on? Perhaps with them two talking, you'll be able to join in."

Yuna looked over at Lulu, a frown etched on her face. "But what about you?"

The older woman chuckled. "I'm his wife. He'll tell me sooner or later, one way or another."

Yuna laughed, something about the way Lulu spoke always made her feel at ease. Perhaps it was her brash honesty, or the fact that she had always been there with her. Either way, her talks with the older woman always helped her through her issues. "Thanks, Lulu." She leant over and gave Lulu a small hug and kiss on the cheek before tickling Vindina one more time. "I'll see you two later on. Rikku and I are heading to Luca soon, it's been a long time since I went shopping!"

"I see. Be careful, Yuna." Lulu waved her off before turning back to her son.

"Bye!"

* * *

"Aaaaaaaah!" Tidus laid back on a small hill near the beach, the cool grass wet with ocean spray. "This Luca beer is good stuff!"

Wakka wiped his forearm along his temples and let out a deep breath. "Helps ease the muscles after a long day of work, ya?"

"You can say that again." Tidus laughed and let out a grunt as he sat up and yanked his sword from the dirt. "Not many fiends around today, though."

"Since we got rid of sin, they're gettin' rarer and rarer. Can't complain, man, it makes the island safer for everyone!" Wakka took another huge swig of his beer.

"Yeah, but it makes my boring job even more boring," Tidus whined and began toying with his sword; swinging it in the air before laying it on the grass.

"Ey, don't be complainin'. What would you do if anything happened, eh? Leave Yuna alone again? I don't think you want that."

Tidus threw his head back and looked up to the sky. _"disappearing again..."_ He picked out the shape of a sword in the clouds and half-smiled as the cool breeze tickled his cheeks. "I guess you're right... but these fiends are nothing," he pumped his fist into the air. "We're the great guardians that defeated the undefeatable Sin!"

"All it takes is for you to keep thinkin' like that, that's when ya get lazy and get jumped."

Tidus turned to look at Wakka, noticing his lack of an expression, for once. "You'll be a good dad, Wakka. Chill out a bit."

Wakka perked a brow and turned to the blond haired man. "What makes ya say that?"

"You're a worrier, nothing will get past you," he replied with a chuckle. "'Cept a Blitzball."

The two men laughed and took another mouthful of beer, looking out over the sea and to the horizon as the sun began to set.

"Now, what are you two doing all the way out here?"

They both turned to find Yuna standing there, hands on hips, tight-lipped.

"Just chillin' after a hard day of work," Wakka answered.

"Well." She stomped over to Tidus and yanked his beer from his hands.

"Hey!"

"I _was_ trying to find you," she pointed at Tidus, "because I have to leave for a few hours to go shopping with Rikku. I was hoping to spend some time together!"

Tidus gulped and looked to Wakka with wide eyes, the older man just shrugged; grinning. _"Some help you are." _He turned to his girlfriend and attempted a meek smile. "Sorry, I didn't realise you were going anywhere tonight."

"You knew I was going shopping with Rikku, I told you this morning!" She stomped her feet and pouted. Tidus flinched, this was not good.

He had slept through most of the early morning, waking up at 10am to the sound of screaming didn't recall being told anything and Yuna had already left long before that. "I don't remember you telling me anything," he admitted. "But we can spend some time together when you get back!" His vain attempt at reconcilliation had some effect, albeit not quite enough for his liking.

"Hmph, fine." She pointed an accusing finger at him, "just don't go anywhere!"

"Where would I go?"

"Fiend hunting."

"I would not!"

"Would too! I know what you're like, you get bored for even a second and you're off chasing fiends!"

She was angry, and worried. More worried than angry, really. Tidus wasn't exactly the most alert of people.

As if on cue, the Celsius entered the group's line of sight and made its way towards the beach. Yuna dropped down and gave Wakka a brief hug then Tidus a peck on the cheek.

"Take care, ya!" Wakka bellowed as she hopped off the small hill towards the sand.

"Get some more of that beer!" Tidus yelled and as she waved a hand to acknowledge his request. He blinked. "W-wait, you've got my beer!"

The ship landed, thrusting sea water into the air; the wind carried it as a fresh spray to the two men at the top of the hill. It took off almost as quickly as it landed, firing away into the distance and disappearing within seconds; a field of dust and sand laid in its wake, along with two blinking men.

"Wow," Tidus stated blandly.

"Ya."

"I feel like having another beer."

"Hell yea."

"But... I don't wanna move."

"Me neither."

"This really sucks."

"...Ya."

* * *

"Man! This is the problem with starting a fire, ya? These damn fiends come crawlin' outta nowhere lookin', for, FOOD!" Wakka grunted the last few words as he let loose a barrage of Blitzballs at several weak birds.

"Each one we kill here just drops the population these days though, right?" Tidus palmed a ball of blistering flames at a flan; a cascade of water flew into the air, leaving steam in the monster's wake.

"True, true." Wakka sprinted at a dazed coyote-looking monster. His knee slammed into its jaw before he reached around to grapple its neck; snapping it in two.

"I don't get that. Is it something to do with Sin being gone? Y'know, people aren't being killed and just accept their death?" The blond haired man leaped into the air; a fierce yell erupted from his lips as he cleaved a gigantic bird from head to tail, splitting it in two.

They continued their journey along the pathway towards the village.

"Dunno man, makes sense though."

Two coyotes leapt from thick shrubs. Charging at the two men, they attempted to bar their path. Wakka took his stance and charged dark energy into his ball; volleying it between them both and using the opening to jump between the two, yanking their tails and catapulting them off of the cliff to the rocks below. He took a deep breath as he chased after Tidus. "Either way," he bellowed, "it makes the island just that lil'bit safer each time. That's good enough for me!"

"No argument there!" He responded, throwing Wakka a thumbs up as he leapt into the air. Coming down on another coyote, he tensed his ankles before bringing down his feet; colliding with the beast's skull, it met the ground with a sickening crunch.

The two continued to run; ripping a path through the fiends as they neared the village.

"Well we're back now, we can work out the tally lat-ARGH!"

"Wakka!"

A Garuda had swooped in as they spoke. Their guard had been down for only a few seconds, but it had been ample time for the gigantic creature to latch its spiny teeth into Wakka's right arm. Blood oozed from the dozens of holes it left, the creature tightening its hold with every passing second.

Tidus drove his sword through its skull, down into the neck and out through the chest. It scattered in hundreds of pyreflies. However, the damage had already been done.

"Shit," Wakka groaned. He gripped the top of his arm, grimacing as he cut the flow of blood.

"I'll take care of these, get in there!"

Wakka frowned, then reluctantly nodded. Taking off towards the gate, another bird-like creature screeched in the air. He barely had time to look up before the sky flashed a bright purple; an almighty bolt of lightning sent the bird scattering in chunks of charred, smoking flesh.

"Wakka!" Lulu dropped her stance and ran to her husbands side. Lifting his heavy, good arm over her shoulder, she held onto him and led him towards their home. Inside, she immediately grabbed a cloth throw from the sofa and folded it into a thick wad. After applying it and tying the feathered ends, she lowered herself to the floor with him; brushing some loose hair off of his sweaty forehead, she pressed her hands to his shoulder.

There was something comforting about having someone worry over you that Wakka would never admit to. Not openly, at least. However, as he felt the blood in his arm run cold; Lulu's healing magic clotting the wounds, he knew that this time wasn't one where Lulu would yell at him for being reckless, stupid or irresponsible.

"Lu... I'm so-"

She cut him off. "It's okay, Wakka. Just stay still," she replied quietly, gently... forcefully. Her first instinct had been to yell at him for being so stupid. However, as she sat there watching him, his eyes semi-closed and unseeing, all she could do was worry. It was clear that he felt idiotic enough without being berrated. Her shoulders slumped as she leant forward, resting her forehead against his. "I don't really need to say anything, do I?"

The room was quiet, very quiet. All he could hear was Lulu's soft breathing and the gentle hum of healing energy. He slid his cheek along hers to rest his head on her shoulder. "Nah, you don't."

Pale green energy floated around his arm, lighting up the small room. "That feels good," he whispered in a drunken-like slurr. The sedation effect of so much healing magic was beginning to kick in, not that he minded. "When did ya get so good at this?"

She shook her head as he chuckled against her. "I learned some a long time ago, but... it wasn't until we had Vindina that I practiced seriously." Her fingers worked the magic a little more before slowly dispersing it; resting her hand on his toned muscles. "How does that feel?"

"Feels good..."

"Don't you dare fall asleep here, Wakka. Your snoring will wake Vindina," she scolded quietly, helping him to his feet in the process.

"Ah, yeah. Okay." He walked slowly to the bedroom with Lulu's aid.

After helping him onto the bed, Lulu stepped back into the front room and barred the front door shut, along with the windows. She double-checked on Vindina, smiling as the little one giggled in his sleep. Satisfied that he was comfortable and well covered by his sheets, she made her way back into the bedroom. Wakka had already fallen asleep, as was made evident by his rough snoring.

Lulu rubbed her forehead. As much as it was a horrible sound, these days, she simply couldn't sleep without his bellowing lungs beside her. She changed into her night clothes and slipped under the covers. As usual, his eyes fluttered open and he rolled over, wrapping his arm around her waist and let out a long breath. "Thanks, Lu," he mumbled.

"I think that's all of 'em!"

While Wakka could take more of a beating, the younger man was far more agile, able to simply avoid anything that would come his way. Though, this heavily affected his stamina. So, despite the fact that Tidus was uninjured... he was tired. _Very_ tired. He threw his sword over his shoulder and patted his clothes of dust and dirt as he moved through the village gates. The sun had recently descended over the horizon and the villagers were stoking a huge fire in the centre of town.

Jassu noticed him skulking into the village and quickly ran over. "'Tidus!" He yelled, "you okay, bro?"

He simply threw up a tired arm and gave the Auroch a thumbs up. "No probs here!"

"Good good, man. Wakka didn't look so hot. Lulu took care of 'im though." He pointed towards the couple's closed doors. Tidus just shook his head and laughed. "I'll bet she did." They both snickered and made their way over to the fire.

* * *

"Thanks, Rikku!" Yuna pulled the smaller girl into a tight hug.

"Anytime, cous!" Rikku pecked her on the cheek and hopped back, throwing her a thumbs up.

"Cous?" Yuna tilted her head in confusion.

Rikku looked hurt. "Cous! Like Cousin, but without the 'in'!" She whined, stomping on the metal floor.

"Oh, sorry!" Yuna giggled and picked up a single, pink bag. "Take care and come back soon, okay?"

Rikku nodded. "Heck yeah!"

Yuna hopped from the ship's docking bay onto the village pathway and spun back to the ship, attempting to wave Rikku goodbye. They had been kind enough to drop her right outside the village. Though, of course, the whole village had been alerted to her arrival.

One person in particular was happy to see her back.

"Hey!" Tidus jogged over to her and laughed at the amount of things she'd bought. He was expecting boxes, bags, even crates. It also didn't take him long to realise she hadn't picked up any of his favourite beer. "This is it? I don't suppose it's heavy?"

She laughed and patted him on the arm. "It's very heavy, you should carry it for me."

"Yes, my dear." He mock bowed and took it from her, then took the same hand and pulled her to him, giving her a small kiss. "I'm sorry about earlier."

Yuna returned the kiss before pulling away and shaking her head. "No, no. I'm sorry... I was mean. You were spending time with Wakka, I have you to myself every day." She directed her gaze to the floor "...and night."

He smirked and hoisted her into his arms, flinching slightly. He really was tired. "That's true, but I'm still sorry."

Yuna noticed his flinch and frowned; concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good! Just a bit tired after today." He thought it best to not mention Wakka for now, if she was worried about him, she'd just feel guilty if she found out about what had happened. Clearly she was in too good a mood to waste right now, she'd find out soon enough anyway.

"If you're sure..." She wasn't convinced, but couldn't push it any further when he shot her a grin.

He carried her through the village gates and purposely ignored several, loud, wolf-whistles from the Aurochs. Yuna chuckled and gave them a wave as they swung to the right, past Wakka's place. Yuna supressed a laugh, his snoring was more than evident from this side of their home. "He must be really tired," she giggled.

Tidus smiled at her. _At least he's alright_.

They came to their house and Tidus unceremoniously kicked open the door. After stepping inside, he heeled it shut and immediately carried Yuna into the bathroom. "Let's take a bath," he stated brashly.

Yuna simply smiled and nodded.

Perhaps it was his love of the water or perhaps it was the fact that it was so relaxing, but either way, Yuna had noticed that Tidus preferred to spend their private time in the bath. Not that she minded, of course. It was far more relaxing to sit in a soapy tub of water than the bed. Especially when she could use him as a recliner.

Within minutes the bath had filled up with soapy goodness and they were sat in the hot water. Yuna found herself sighing in pleasure far too often. All of the running around earlier for what she was looking for -_literally_ running around for- had taken its toll on her legs.

Tidus, on the other hand, relished the feeling of the water soothing his battered and bruised back. Fiends had been jumping him left, right and centre. He'd been quick enough to avoid any substantial damage, but large numbers of superficial cuts and collisions quickly added up. Not that he was going to share that with her right now.

So, they simply sat there. His arms around her slim waist and her hands resting on his. The humming of the generator could barely be heard through the stone wall; resonating, it created a relaxing background sound to listen to.

"You don't seem very talkative this evening," Yuna stated, stroking his knuckles with her fingertips.

"Ah, sorry. There were a ton of fiends on the roads, I'm pretty tired," he replied with a sigh as she squeezed his hands.

"Let me see it."

He perked a brow. "See what?"

"Don't try and pull that with me, mister." She poked his thigh. "Show me the damage."

_This isn't going to end well,_ he informed himself. So, he gently slid her down to the end of the bath and he spun around. Her gasp made his heart sink.

"Tidus!" He flinched. "What happened?" Her fingers carefully traced the large black, blue and purple bruises that painted his back as though his skin were a mere canvas. "You promised me that you'd careful!"

"I was careful!" He tried to defend himself, it wasn't as though he'd purposely gone _looking_ for fiends. "There were just so many today... I couldn't just run from them, what if they'd come to the village?"

"But..." Yuna bit her bottom lip, her brows arching. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her fingers began to glow a faint white, then into a more powerful, emanating green light. "I guess you're right..." she traced her fingers along the edges of the large bruises that all seemed to meld into one.

"Just hold still."

The healing energy would remain where her fingers touched; tracing along the curved edges back to the start. Shadowed skin gleaned a bright white as she drew her hands like a screen along the injuries, drawing both the damage and energy away from his skin. Then, as though it never existed, the light dissipated into the air; its energy carried out through the seaview window with the breeze.

"Thanks," he muttered. While he knew he hadn't done anything wrong, _per-se_, he'd worried Yuna. Again.

"Don't thank me," she whispered in reply and slid her arms around his chest, resting her head between his shoulderblades. "Just be careful."

"This isn't so bad, though," he reasoned. "Remember that time when I wasn't looking and that Chimera tore my arm open? Now _that_ was bad!" He wheezed as she squeezed his chest.

"Tidus!"

"Sorry," he mumbled.

She sighed and nuzzled his skin. "I just... don't want to lose you again. You get so overconfident and it worries me... I felt like I could get you back the last time, y'know?" Her brain worked faster than her mouth. She had meant to say more, but it hurt to even think about it.

He frowned and flicked at the water's surface, distorting his reflection. She just nibbled at her bottom lip.

"I'm not goin' anywhere, okay? I wouldn't take on anything more than I could handle. I mean, yeah, I might be a bit overconfident... _at times_, but I'm not stupid."

She sighed. "I guess."

He nodded "Okay."

"Tidus?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm getting cold." She laughed, her forearms prickling with goosebumps.

"We can't have that." He turned his head to sneer at her.

"No." She batted his hand away as he turned around in the tub. "Tidus, no!" She tried to kick herself towards the other end of the tub, but her feet just slipped on the smooth stone.

"Oh yes!"

* * *

Late night had passed. It'd become the time of the evening where the line between night and day had been crossed. A salty sea breeze blew through the sails of the S.S. Liki; guided down to the passengers still out on the deck. Not that there were many, of course.

All but three of the travellers had retired long ago. Some because it was late, others because the chill had become a little too harsh. That didn't matter to these men, though. They were well accustomed to the harsh enviroments of Spira.

"Ha! I hated this journey. Going backwards into Besaid then having to do the whole trip again from the beginning."

"It certainly was a long trip. Longer than necessary, perhaps."

"Regardless, our travels would have led us to Besaid before or after we had begun. When we made the journey is irrelevant."

The three men sat reclined in wooden deck chairs, looking out over the hull of the ship; Besaid's silhouette barely visible in the distance, but it was there. They were close.

Jecht let out a loud sigh and crossed his arms behind his head. "Wonder what they're gonna say."

Braska only closed his eyes. He didn't want show it to the others, but inside, he was just about ready to burst with nervous excitement. "I think the biggest question is, what are we going to say to them?"

Auron just stared into the distance, blinking a drop of sea water from his good eye. "We will tell them the truth."

Jecht snorted. "And here I thought we could make it all dramatic." He cleared his throat and threw his arms into the air. "Hey, guys! The Gods smiled upon us, we were given another chance to live!"

Braska shook his head. "There's no need to be dramatic, Jecht."

"I'm sure that the shock of seeing us will cause more than enough... drama." Auron added.

Jecht perked a brow. "Eh? Since when did you start talkin' like that?"

"I've picked up some bad habits," Auron replied.

"Ha!" Jecht scoffed, his face full of pride.

"...From your son," he continued.

Jecht growled and looked up to the sky.

Waves lapped at the boat's side, rocking the small vessel ever so slightly. Before long, both Braska and Auron had drifted into a deep sleep.

Jecht couldn't sleep at all, though. He found himself humming the hymn; his mind wandering.

Twelve years had passed in the blink of an eye for Braska. Of course, after he had died fighting Sin, he'd been sent to the farplane. It was his choice to fight Sin. His choice to die. Auron's Twelve years had been spent in the company of Tidus. He'd never really thanked Auron for looking after his boy, but at the same time, he never really felt it was necessary.

Sure, he'd been happy to fulfill his promise. At the same time, though, Auron had a reason for looking after Tidus and eventually bringing him to Spira. A reason that had been realised when Yunalesca had struck him down. As for himself, Jecht often found himself sitting like this, looking up at the stars. Though the stars within Sin weren't nearly as bright or real.

He was envious of the two men beside him. Braska's time had passed as though it were nothing, Auron's spent in the company of his son. _A father figure?_ He snorted a laugh. _Yeah, right._

For the ten years he had been Sin. Awake but unable to control his actions, he'd killed countless numbers of people. His dreams often turned into twisted nightmares; haunted by the thoughts of the dead. It's not like he blamed himself. No, Jecht knew better than that. Every Sin was born from the Final Aeon. Every Final Aeon became Sin. How many guardians had been in his position? Killing the innocent, unable to do anything to stop their living nightmare?

He'd pondered this question many times while trapped within that unearthly body, so many times that in the end, he'd just stopped thinking about it. That question, though, had been at the forefront of his mind when he had woke up that morning. Two days ago, in the center of the Calm lands.

* * *

**A/N: **Nothing special to say here, hope you enjoyed it? Next chapter will be out when it's finished, so, laters!


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